Johannesburg - Cosatu is getting impatient with authorities and will continue to wage war against e-tolls, its Gauteng secretary Dumisani Dakile said on Friday.
“What they are doing is trying to provoke us... the patience is running out. If they want another Marikana we will give it to them on a silver platter,” Dakile told a group of protesters outside the trade union federation's Johannesburg headquarters in Braamfontein.
The group included representatives from the Treatment Action Campaign, Bikers Against E-tolls, and the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference.
The Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on Thursday dismissed Cosatu's application for a go-slow protest on Johannesburg's highways. It approached the court after metro police refused it permission.
Dakile said Johannesburg metro police had asked for an upfront payment of R2 million for the protest to go ahead.
“We have never paid money in order to exercise our constitutional right. We are not prepared to pay even half a cent... let them go to hell.”
According to Dakile metro police told Cosatu it had a sworn statement stating there would be violence at the march.
“We have had many marches, peaceful marches. That is their plan to stop us.”
The trade union federation was meeting Ekurhuleni officials at 3pm on Friday to discuss plans to protest on May 31.
“We want to know about their decision by Monday, so that we can know what action to take.”
The Ekurhuleni march would see thousands block the N3, N12, the R24 and the R21, he said.
“If no permission is granted, even if we had gone through all legal processes, Cosatu will go ahead with the protests.” - Sapa